Actress Nana, formerly of the group After School, has for the first time shared in detail how she personally subdued a knife-wielding intruder who broke into her home last year.
The web variety show Zzanbro, released on the 9th, featured actors Ha Ji-won, Ju Ji-hoon, and Nana. Recalling the robbery that took place in November, Nana looked back on the frantic moments. "I was completely out of it. Those moments felt endlessly long, and every single second was an emergency," she said.
The incident occurred last November at Nana’s home in Guri, Gyeonggi Province. A man in his 30s entered the house with a weapon, demanded valuables, and threatened Nana and her mother. At the time, Nana was asleep in her bedroom while her mother was in the living room.
"My room is far from the living room, and with the door closed, you can hardly hear anything," Nana said. "But that day, I woke up to the faintest sound from my mom. Looking back, it was such a blessing."
The reason Nana woke up was her mother’s life-or-death situation. "My mom was in such danger that she briefly lost consciousness from being choked," Nana said. "She later told me she couldn’t even scream because she was afraid I’d get hurt." She continued, "In a moment where it felt like she might stop breathing, she regretted saying, 'Jin-a, lock the door.' Thinking how terrified she must have been broke my heart."
As soon as she grasped what was happening, Nana says she immediately rushed the intruder. "I just had one instinct—'Mom is in danger.' The moment I saw him, I lunged right away," she explained. "If I’d had time to think, it could have been even more dangerous."
She also addressed rumors that she was a "fourth-dan in special forces martial arts." Nana clarified, "I’ve never trained in martial arts. I just defended myself on instinct."
In the end, Nana and her mother overpowered the man by grabbing his arm and immobilizing him, then called the police to handle the situation on-site. Both were injured and received treatment, and the assailant reportedly injured his jaw and was also treated.
After the incident, the man countersued Nana on charges of injury, but police ruled her actions were legitimate self-defense and decided not to refer the case for prosecution. Nana has since filed an additional complaint against him for false accusation.